ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
"Apprentices will continue to get their full stipend during COVID-19 Lockdown”: Dr MahendraNathPandey
- All establishments shall pay full stipend as applicable to the apprentices engaged under both designated and optional trade
- Reimbursement of stipend to establishments under NAPS shall be paid by the Government for the lockdown period as per the NAPS guidelines
As a part of the Government’s commitment to fight the spread of the Novel Coronavirus  and fully support the public, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship  today notified all the establishments under designated and optional trade to pay full stipend to apprentices engaged with them. Additionally, reimbursement of stipend to establishments under National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme  shall be paid by the Government for the lockdown period as per the NAPS guidelines.
Apprentices Act, 1961 and the Apprenticeship Rules under it state that if a trade apprentice is unable to complete the period of apprenticeship training due to strike or lockout or layoff in an establishment where he is undergoing training and is not instrumental for the same, the period of his apprenticeship training shall be extended for a period equal to the period of strike or lockout or layoff, as the case maybe, and shall be paid stipend during the period of such strike or lockout or layoff or for a maximum period of six months, whichever is less.
Dr.MahendraNathPandey, Union Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurshipexpressed his views and shared, “This is the time when we all need to come forward and support each other completely. Even our honourable Prime Minister, Shri. NarendraModi appealed to businesses to act with empathy. And with this, we have decided that we will not let the morale of the country’s productive youth to be let down and will support them in every way possible. In view of this, we will ensure that apprentices continue to get their stipend during COVID-19 lockdown. I would also like to state that all the establishments have shown full commitment in this regard and are cooperating with the Government for the smooth delivery of services in a critical time like this.”
Apprenticeship has been recognized as an effective way to empower young people to smoothly shift from school and college to work whilst at the same time improving links between industry and training institutions. The National Apprenticeship Programme plays a large part in the task of up-skilling India’s workforce, offering the opportunity to share costs among different parties  and to involve governments, employers and workers in partnership. Apprenticeship is a win-win situation both for industry and youth in coming together to help make the vision of ‘Skilled India’ a reality in future.
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs 
Cabinet approves incurring expenditure for reimbursing the losses under MSP operations for cotton during the cotton season  2014-15 to 2020-21
Cabinet approves price support of Rs.17,408.85 crore to the Cotton Corporation of India  for the cotton seasons from 2014-15 to 2020-21
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval for committed price support of Rs.17,408.85 crore to the Cotton Corporation of India  for the cotton seasons from 2014-15 to 2020-21 .
In order to safeguard the interests of the cotton farmers, it is expedient to conduct price support operations in cotton years 2014-15 to 2020-21 as cotton prices touched the MSP prices. Its implementation enhances the inclusiveness of the cotton farmers in the economic activity of the country. Price support operations help stabilize the cotton prices and alleviate farmer’s distress.
Cotton is one of the most important cash crops and plays a major role in sustaining livelihood of around 58 lakh cotton farmers and 400 to 500 lakh people engaged in related activities such as cotton processing and trade.
During cotton season 202-21, area under cotton cultivation was 133 lakh hectares with estimated production of 360 lakh bales, which account for around 25% of total global cotton production. Government of India based on the recommendations of CACP fixes MSP for seed cotton .
Government of India appoints CCI as Central Nodal agency and CCI is mandated to undertake MSP in cotton by procuring all FAQ grade cotton from farmers without any quantitative celling, as and when cotton prices fall below MSP level. MSP operations protect cotton farmers from distress sale during any adverse price situation.
MSP operations being sovereign function in nature motivates cotton farmers in the country to keep their sustained interest in cotton cultivation so as to make India Atambirbhar for quality cotton which is a raw material for spinning industry. CCI keep its infrastructure ready in all 11 major cotton growing States by opening 474 procurement centres in 143 districts.
During global pandemic in the last two cotton seasons , CCI procured around 1/3rd of the cotton production in the country i.e. about 200 lakh bales and disbursed more than Rs.55,000/- crore directly in the bank accounts of around 40 lakh farmers.
For current cotton season i.e. 2021-022, CCI has already made all adequate arrangements in all 11 major cotton growing states including deployment of man power at more than 450 procurement centres, so as to meet any eventuality of MSP operations.
Ministry of Science & Technology
Experts discuss how STIP 2020 can help country become future-ready & face situations like COVID 19
The STIP 2020 will help democratisation of knowledge, boost research and development to make globally competitive products at greater pace and quality, and empower our industries in research and innovation in creating jobs: Prof Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, DST
COVID-19 has hugely impacted the world, but it has also shown us the way forward: Dr. V.K. Saraswat, Member, Niti Aayog
Dr. V.K. Saraswat, Member, Niti Aayog highlighted how COVID 19 created opportunities and will have profound long-term consequences while Prof Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, Department of Science & Technology , underlined how the new Science, Technology and Innovation Policy  2020 would make us future-ready to face such situations, at a webinar.
COVID-19 has hugely impacted the world, but it has also shown us the way forward, Dr. Saraswat said at the webinar on DST Golden Jubilee Discourse Series - On the other side of the Pandemic - organised by National Council for Science & Technology Communication and Vigyan Prasa, recently.
“The crisis which has affected everybody through loss of near or dear ones, loss of livelihoods and by bringing the world economy to a halt has also compelled us to re-examine some of our fundamental assumptions about organisational norms, practices one should follow and offered developing countries the opportunity to reinvent and reboot their economy to become self-reliant. The use of science, technology, and innovation will play a pivotal role in dealing with such COVID-19 disruptions,” Dr. Saraswat added.
Emphasising on the role played by STIP 2020 at this critical juncture, Professor Ashutosh Sharma said, “The policy is shaping up well to help us face the challenges of the future and make the country self-reliant.
He said that the policy will help democratisation of knowledge, boost research and development to make globally competitive products at greater pace and quality, and empower our industries in research and innovation in creating jobs.
“We have missed the bus in the past in few sectors, and that this has proved to be an obstacle in being Atmnirbhar in those fields. We cannot miss this opportunity now. STIP 2020 has taken everything into consideration and will greatly help our country to become Atmnirbhar by using science, technology, and innovation”, DST Secretary pointed out.
Ministry of Civil Aviation
Work Towards Making UDAN Scheme Sustainable: Pradeep Singh Kharola
50 Unserved and Underserved Airports added Under UDAN
4TH Anniversary of RCS-UDAN
UDAN Day Celebrated
Shri Pradeep Singh Kharola, Secretary, MoCA has stated that the stakeholders should work towards making the UDAN scheme sustainable on its own and improve its efficiency. During a video conference to commemorate the UDAN day today, he said that UDAN scheme has established the importance of travelling by air for common man specially to far flung areas. Shri Kharola congratulated the stakeholders and UDAN team for making the scheme successful with untiring efforts. He urged the airlines to undertake marketing initiatives so that more and more people can take benefit of the UDAN scheme. Senior officials from AAI, DGCA, MoCA and airlines also joined the video conference.
Shri Kharola said that one of the most important features of the scheme is that different agencies collaborated and synchronised their efforts towards the success of the scheme. He added that UDAN has created a virtuous circle wherein the UDAN routes feed the national network and the national routes further create new opportunities for the people across the country who then generate demand for more regional routes. Shri Arvind Singh, Chairman, AAI said that AAI is committed to build the infrastructure required for the UDAN scheme across the country.
Smt. Usha Padhee, JS, MoCA thanked the stakeholders for their combined efforts and continuous support in making the UDAN scheme a success. She added that Government of India has acknowledged the contribution of UDAN initiative and identified 21st October 2020  as UDAN Day.
RCS-UDAN, "Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik" is a Government of India's flagship program which aims to provide affordable, economically viable and profitable air travel on regional routes. This Regional Connectivity Scheme offers unique opportunity to a common man to fly at an affordable price. UDAN has played a major role in adding new airports and routes to the aviation landscape of the country. 50 unserved and underserved airports  with 285 routes have been added under UDAN across the length and breadth of India. As the implementing agency, AAI has an ambitious plan to develop at least 100 airports/waterdromes/heliports by 2024 under the Scheme.
President's Secretariat
President of India graces Mahashivaratri celebrations at Isha Yoga Center Coimbatore
Lord Shiva's destructive drive is also creative, leading to the regeneration and rejuvenation of the cosmos: President Murmu
The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu graced the Mahashivaratri Celebrations, organised by the Isha Foundation, at the Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore this evening .
Speaking on the occasion, the President said that Lord Shiva is a deity for all, as he appears in his various manifestations matching each of us. He is the first yogi, the Adiyogi, and he also the first jnani who, for example, is said to have inspired Panini’s grammar system, one of the tallest intellectual achievements of humankind.
The President said that Lord Shiva is a benevolent deity, and yet in countless myths he is also depicted the ultimate fearsome deity, as revealed in another name for him, ‘Rudra’. This way, he is the symbol of both kinds of energies, creative and destructive. He, indeed, transcends such pairs of opposites, because his destructive drive is also creative, leading to the regeneration and rejuvenation of the cosmos.
The President said Lord Shiva appears in the form of ardh-narishwar also, half male and half female. It points to the masculine and feminine sides of every human being and is an expression of the ideal of balancing the two.
The President said that Mahashivaratri marks the end of winter and beginning of sunny days in most parts of India. Mahashivaratri thus also marks the end of darkness – the darkness of ignorance, and opens the path to enlightenment. For those in search of higher ideals of life, today is an especially significant occasion. She said that today, the world remains as torn in strife as ever, but it is also facing an unprecedented ecological crisis. The need for a balanced and compassionate life, in harmony with Mother Nature and all its children, was never felt so pressing as it does today. May this Mahashivaratri dispel darkness inside us and lead us all to a more fulfilling and flourishing life.
Please click here to see the President’s Speech –
Ministry of Finance
GST Revenue collection for March, 2019 crossed Rupees One Lakh Crore and recorded Highest Collections in the FY 2018-19
Total Gross GST revenue collected in the month of March, 2019 is Rs. 1,06,577 crore of which CGST is Rs. 20,353 crore, SGST is Rs.27,520 crore, IGST is Rs.50,418 crore  and Cess is Rs. 8,286 crore . The total number of GSTR 3B Returns filed for the month of February up to 31st March, 2019 is 75.95lakh.
The Government has settled Rs.17,261crore to CGST and Rs. 13,689crore to SGST from IGST as regular settlement. Further, Rs. 20,000crore has been settled from the balance IGST available with the Centre on provisional basis in the ratio of 50:50 between Centre and States. The total revenue earned by Central Government and the State Governments after regular and provisional settlement in the month of March, 2019 is Rs. 47,614 crore for CGST and Rs. 51,209 crore for the SGST.
The collection during March, 2019 has been the highest since introduction of GST. The revenue in March, 2018 was Rs. 92,167crore and the revenue during March, 2019 is a growth of 15.6% over the revenue in the same month last year. The revenue for the last quarter in the year 2018-19 is 14.3% higher than the revenue collected during the same period last year. The monthly average of GST revenue during 2018-19 is Rs. 98,114 crore which is 9.2% higher than FY 2017-18. These figures indicate that the revenue growth has been picking up in recent months, despite various rate rationalization measures.
The Chart below shows trends in revenue during the current year as compared to the last year.
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh advises DARPG to expedite Work From Home Guidelines in the wake of COVID-19.
Union Minister of State for Personnel, PG and Pensions Dr. Jitendra Singh has reviewed the on-going activities of DARPG and advised that the work from home policy guidelines should be expeditiously firmed up by the Department. He advised that necessary consultations with Line Ministries/ Departments in this regard may be completed on a priority basis. Dr. Jitendra Singh said that timely issue of the WFH guidelines would benefit employees of the Central Secretariat in adhering to the Prime Minister’s call for “Do Gaz Doori” and social distancing.
Dr. Jitendra Singh will address the e-Office workshop for North East States on June 12, 2020 with the objective to create digital State Secretariats in North Eastern States of India. Today, Dr. Jitendra Singh held a preparatory meeting in the run-up to the workshop which will be conducted as a webinar. The progress of e-Office in 75 Central Ministries/ Departments enabled the creation of a digital central secretariat which ensured that work from home was possible in the COVID-19 lockdown period. The implementation of e-Office in State Secretariats of North Eastern States will result in creation of paperless State Secretariats in a time bound manner where officers would be empowered with virtual private networks, digital signature certificates and promote less contact governance. The workshop on e-Office for North East States would be attended by Chief Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Sikkim, and the IT Ministers of Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Tripura. Chief Secretaries of NE States, Additional Chief Secretaries and Principal Secretaries of Administrative Reforms and Secretaries of IT Departments have been invited to attend the workshop.
DARPG said that 1 lac public grievances pertaining to COVID-19 PG cases were redressed in the period March 30, 2020 to June 9, 2020. To ensure quality of grievance redressal, the DARPG would launch the Feedback Call Centres in 11 languages covering all the States of the Union from June 15, 2020 operationalized by BSNL. The Feedback Call Centres would conduct a quality check on every public grievance that has been shown as redressed on COVID-19 National Monitoring Dashboard over period of one month. On June 15, 2020 when the Feed Back Call Centres would be launched, Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Personnel, PG and Pensions would interact live with citizens of various States across the country to take first hand feedback on the quality of grievance redressal.
The preparatory meeting was attended by Dr. K.Shivaji, Secretary DARPG, V.Srinivas Additional Secretary DARPG, Smt. Jaya Dubey Joint Secretary DARPG and Chairman and Managing Director BSNL Shri P.K.Purwar.
Competition Commission of India
CCI approves acquisition of certain compulsorily convertible preference shares of Hero FinCorp Limited by AHVF II Holdings Singapore II Pte. Ltd.
The Competition Commission of India  approves acquisition of certain compulsorily convertible preference shares of Hero FinCorp Limited  by AHVF II Holdings Singapore II Pte. Ltd.  under Section 31 of the Competition Act, 2002.
The Proposed Combination relates to the subscription of certain compulsorily convertible preference shares by Acquirer of Target, which upon conversion will represent a certain shareholding in HFL.
Acquirer is a private limited company incorporated in Singapore. It is owned by investment funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Management, L.P. Apollo Management, L.P., its affiliates, and investment funds managed by its affiliates are together hereinafter referred to as Apollo. Apollo Management L.P. is a limited partnership formed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, U.S.A. Investment funds managed by affiliates of Apollo invest in companies and debt issued by companies involved in various businesses throughout the world.
Target is an entity incorporated in India and is primarily engaged in the business of financing and related financial services. HFL is registered as a systemically important non-deposit taking non-banking finance company with the Reserve Bank of India. HFL’s sole wholly owned subsidiary, Hero Housing Finance Limited offers a range of housing loans and loans against property to various segments of society.
Detailed order of the CCI will follow.
Prime Minister's Office
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa arrives in New Delhi
Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa has arrived in New Delhi, today evening. He is on a State visit to India from 8 – 11 Feb, 2020 at the invitation of our Prime Minister. The Prime Minister Of Sri Lanka is here with a high level delegation. 8th Feb is the main engagement day where he will hold delegation level talks with the Prime Minister. He will also call on our President and in the morning External Affairs Minister will call on the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.
After his official engagements in Delhi the Sri Lankan Prime Minister will travel to Varanasi, Sarnath, Bodh Gaya, Tirupati before he gets back to Colombo. There has been a series of high level visits between the two countries. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa chose India as the first destination to visit after he assumed his position as the President immediately after his election victory.
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Prime Minister's Office
Congregation of the Holy Family thanks the Prime Minister
Congregation of the Holy Family has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his appreciation of the Canonization of Bl. Mother Mariam Thresia, the patroness of families through his programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’.
“May I, Sr. Udaya CHF, Superior General of the Congregation of the Holy Family take this opportunity to thank you most sincerely for the appreciation of the Canonization of Bl. Mother Mariam Thresia, the patroness of families through the programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’. She was a person with vision, a saintly woman, a great mystic who fulfilled her mission struggling through varied difficulties. You have expressed very clearly your whole hearted appreciation towards the new Indian Saint Mariam Thresia who worked very hard for the upliftment of the families by imparting the love and peace to the families around and also through education. Thus she had contributed a lot in the Nation Building.Your Excellency, Modiji, your appreciation message through ‘Mann Ki Baat’ was very touching and it was appreciated by everybody in our Congregation and people in and around”, writes the Congregation of the Holy Family in a letter to the PM.
In his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat' Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed happiness over the canonisation of Mariam Thresia saying, "It is a matter of pride for every Indian that on the coming October 13 his holiness Pope Francis will declare sister Mariam Thresia a saint. I pay heartfelt tributes to sister Mariam Thresia and congratulate the citizens of India, and especially our Christian brothers and sisters for this achievement."
Ministry of Defence
Implementation of the ‘Swachh Bharat Scheme’
Several activities related to swachhta/sanitation like eradication of manual scavenging, construction of community toilets, public toilets and urinals, management of municipal solid waste and Information Education and Communication  programmes etc. are carried out by Cantonment Boards in those areas of Cantonments where civilians are residing. Details of such activities are given below:-
- All Cantonments have been certified as ODF and are pursuing for higher star rating.
- All Cantonment Boards have participated in the Swachh Survekshan, 2019, 2020 and 2021 conducted by Ministry of Urban Affairs and Housing.
- Cantonment Boards have been renovating and maintaining community and public toilets. Mobile toilets and bio-toilets have been installed by some Cantonment Boards as required.
- Door to door collection of garbage has been implemented in civil areas of the Cantonments.
- Swachhta Pakhwada is being observed every year and cleanliness drives are under taken in all wards.
- Regular sweeping is being done in the market and residential areas.
- Public drains are being regularly cleaned.
- Solid waste management in the civil areas is being done in accordance with Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.
- Banned plastic is being seized and fines are imposed.
- Cantonment Boards are regularly taking action for creating awareness amongst the citizens/school children/shopkeepers/ hotels/restaurants/vendors of the civil areas through social media, hoardings, advertisements, banners, posters, pamphlets, etc. about littering of garbage, segregation of dry and wet waste in separate receptacles apart from domestic hazardous waste and construction and demolition waste, prevention of single use plastic, garbage burning, tree plantation, etc.
- Sewerage/STP Project was completed at Deolali Cantonment during 2020-21. STP Projects are in progress at Lucknow, Jhansi and Wellington Cantonments.
- Public grievances relating to sanitation and hygiene are being redressed by Cantonment Boards through e-Chhawani online portal.
- Permission is being granted promptly for construction of individual toilets by residents living in authorised houses.
Most of these activities are carried out by the Cantonment Boards out of their own resources. However, Cantonment Board Shillong and Mhow have received Rs 12,53,733/-  and Rs 43,00,000/-  from Government of Meghalaya and Government of Madhya Pradesh respectively under Swachh Bharat Mission.
Cantonment Boards are also carrying out certain activities under the Swachh Bharat Mission like participation in Swachhta Survekshan, declaration as Garbage free city and elimination of Open Defecation.
This information was given by Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Ajay Bhatt in a written reply to Shri Naresh Bansal in Rajya Sabha today.
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